Newsletter Report

To celebrate National Bike Month (May), Las Cruces residents with bikes are invited to join Mayor Ken Miyagishima for the Mayor’s Bike Ride and Bike To Work Day event.

After a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic, the Mayor’s Bike Ride will take place at 10 a.m. on Saturday, May 21. It will begin and end at City Hall, 700 N. Main St., the City of Las Cruces said in a news release.

The event is co-sponsored by Velo Las Cruces and Mayor Ken Miyagishima.

The course is just under five miles. Several Las Cruces police officers, who will also ride bikes, will provide escorts for the bike ride. The route will pass through parts of the historic Mesquite and Alameda neighborhoods. The route map is at https://ridewithgps.com/routes/38969197.

The ride is an easy, low-speed, family-friendly event that will take place on the streets of downtown Las Cruces, the city said. The ride is not recommended for children under 12 unless they are in a trailer or on a tandem or trail-a-bike, the city said. The helmet is mandatory for all runners.

Prior to the start of the bike ride, a National Bike Month proclamation will be read and a brief explanation of the route will be provided.

Initiated by the League of American Bicyclists in 1956, National Bike Month raises awareness of cycling as an American pastime.

Also, the city’s Bike to Work Day will take place from 7 to 9 a.m. on Friday, May 20, on the west side of City Hall.

Information on existing and proposed cycling facilities, cycling basics and vulnerable road users NM, a non-profit organization, will be available at the event. Event attendees and interested residents are encouraged to provide feedback on what they love about biking in Las Cruces and what can be done to improve biking conditions in the city.

Free snacks and free bike bottles will be available for everyone who participates in the Bike To Work day. Velo Las Cruces, a local non-profit bicycle advocacy organization, is participating.

For more information on the Mayor’s Bike Ride, contact George Pearson at [email protected]

For more information on Bike To Work Day, contact the city’s active transportation coordinator, Robert Messenger, at 575-528-3209, 575-528-3043, and [email protected]